Tire chain



June 24, 1930.

TIRE CHAIN Filed Oct. 27, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .III A! I a F. I QOMAIN I 1,768,153

. June 24, 1930.

v F. ROMAIN TIRE CHAIN Filed Oct. 27; 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIT/V555 E5 gmentoz v #65056/07 0/1/9/4/ 4 Patented June 24, 1930 FREDERICK ROMAIN. r memes. MONTANA TIRE chem Application filed October 27, race. Serial No. 144,573.

The present invention relates to improvements in tire chains and has for lts primary object to. provide chains which may be coni modlfied form of the locking member.

Referring to the drawings, wherein for veniently positioned, for operativeengage- -57 ment on a vehicle tire without the necessity hi elevating the. vehicle or turning the Wh el,

gage a road sur ace-to p ereh p nni g. o r the. he ls- Another biee 9f the n enti i the Y Prev eieii ire ehei 9 he above ha aete having imnrev d c ain lock n mem er designe t ta l e he een e e etthe the r arena the fit a th ehieet e the invent n is th nife ie ei et a e hei hieh v c mpara- 2 tively simple and durable of c nstruction,

efieeti repere i n, and hi n. h

mar taeteredet eeihpere i y QW ee Qthei? jects nd a va ge f h 11 rent ei ill he eme epr r t a e d s p- 'tieh-p g1-"ese In the a eemp hyingawi gs, eeming a ran this pplie tie en h eh l k reference characte s are employed o desi nate corresponding parts throughout the s ihe;

Figure l sae side ele a nal e of. a

.YQhiQlQ ti e shewing y mp ed ir ep rati e y .meun d thereo I Figure Zi Jaii'agme t rY d elevatio 42 5 the. ire llu tr ting i d i the pr te re lcenl rue ien nv nt n,

Figure 3 isa perspective view indicating iiaeonhee ingeh in unit, 7 i

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of ehain st u tur hown. in Ope a i e pest.

' r pen the re, i

Eigurefl5,.is an outer plan view of, the cro s'ehain rn tnre,

-, ground engaging plate,

. ,Fifgnre 7 v 's a perspective. View'of a con 7 necting member,;

Figurefi isle-perspective view of the trating a modified form of the invention, n

Figure 9' 1s a perspective View of the the purpose of illustration are shown two forms of my present invention, the numeral fu her Obj ct-of t e in e i n is t pxe isien of a vehi le the a n havi member d signed to fr ie liy e l 0 generally designates the major portion of the'tire chain composed of a plurality of elongated rectangular shaped side links 11,

connected by a series of connecting bands 12.

lar construction and has a pair ofpointed lugs or cleats 16 struck from its central.

portion. These cleats project outwardly and are adapted to securely engage the road bed. A pair of connecting band units 17 I are positioned about the'end links 13 and thecentral plate 15, these connecting bands being provided with parallel contacting tapered lugs:

18 at their outer central portions.

It is thus apparent, that the major tire chain section 10 includes a pair of continuous side chains and a series of spaced cross chains provided with ground engaging cleats attheir central portions, to positively grip i the ground: and wheels. V

An lmportant characteristic of my invenprevent slipping of the 'tion resides in the provision of a chain sec- I 'tion 19, havingone end connected to the chain section 10 to'expedite the connection of the'chain uponia vehicle wheel.f-As' will be well understood by those familiar with this art, it is customary with the type of? chains now commonly employedupon vehiclepnrheels, tn elevate the wheel by means i of lazjack or other apparatus," to connect the .tire chain in position. ,My improved chain structure is, designed to obviate thene'cfes-v sity of elevating the wheel, or turning the same, so that the chain may be applied upon theitire ina stationary position. ''With this" in mind, my invention includes a chainsection 19 including a plurality of sideylinksa 20 connected, as shown in Figures 1 and 8. The outer links of this section are provided with spacing straps 21, cross chains 22 being connected with the outer ends of the said end links and also formed of link sections. Connected with the end links 20 and arranged to be disposed adjacent the side walls of the tire are a pair of oppositely arranged guide links 28., The opposite end links carry automatic key locking members 24. The preferred formof automatic looking I member shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 sinbodies an oval shaped loop 25 normally dis posed in a radial position against the side links therethrough as will be presently seen.

Secured to the inner side arm of the wall of the tire and integrally connected exis normally disposed inj a radial position against the side wall of the tire as shown in Figure 8 and is formed with a laterally ex-. tending arm 33, formed integral with one end of the body and provided at its outer free end with angular guide clips 34; adapted to guide the connecting chain 30. The body 81 is also formed with an angularly extendclip member formed integral with the body and arranged so as to engage the contensions "26 which project laterally from the center portion of the loop in the form of r a U-shaped guide, this guide member being bent arcuately adjacent its outer end and formed to readily receive a series of-chain necting chain when the body 31 is in extended position.

i From the foregoing description and the drawings, it will be "readily noted that my improved tire'chain is primarily designed to facilitatetheconnection of the'chain upon vehicle wheels, and in this connection pro :vides a chainsectionl9 which is slidably "connected upon the connecting'chainsectlon U-shaped guide 26is the coiled spring memient transversely projecting arm 28 disposed in spaced relation from and inwardly of the guide member.

Thechain section 19 is formed to permit convenient connection ofthe chains upon a tire wheel,- this being accomplished by disconnecting the clamping member 29 and 1 her 27 fixed to the arm and having a resilpassing the chain section 30, connected to the'clamping member and to one of the-main sectionlinks ll through the loop 25, of the lockingmembenand through the guide loop with the opposite linkllto lock the chain in continuousposition' about thetire. In

' the initial position, the cross chain 22 will I be disposed adjacent one of the cross chains of the main section. When, however, the

vehicle wheel is rotated the chain section 19 is arranged in its properposition as shown ,in Figure 1, the. cross chain 22 being separated and maintained in this separatedposition by means of the locking member This. is, eiiected'by movement of the locking mem' .ber 25 along the chain 30, the chainvpassing between the 'U-shaped guide extension 26 and the spring arm 28; This "construction is designed to-permit movement of the loop 25 along'the chain sectioni30in one direc-,

tion and to preventopposite movement of the locking member andcross chain; I

fiat stripofmetal ofielongated formhavingits' ends bent inwardly." Passed through the inner side of one of the ends of the body '11s a tapered resilient tongue 32, one endof .the tongue beingnsecured to the body by "me ns er .a"rivet, the opposite end being as i the" opposite endxof thebody. The :body 31.

' 23; The clamping link 29is then connected 80. The chain section'l9 carries a'pair'of oppositely disposed locking members d'emoved in proper spaced position but prevent return movement thereof. In -the jother form, the locking member includes-a body engageable with the links of the chain sec-- tion '19 and" arranged to permit sl'i'dable movement of the connecting sections jtherethrough. "This form of locking' member is invention as claimed.

Asishown-to advantage in Figures Sand 9, I have provided a modified form of locking member including a body 31 formed of a provided with a guide arm which regulates; the position 0f the links when passing through thebody andaa. hook member 35 which will" engage-thellinkswhen th'ejlock- V ng'memberis extended its properoperative position e It is to beunderstood that the formsiof' my invention herewith-shown and'de sjcribed are to be taken as thepreferredexamplee of the same, and that various. changes as'to the shape, size and arrangement of parts may. be resorted to without departing-from: spirit of the invention and the Having thus described inventl n, :I

dam

1. In a "tire chain ot the character" dethe scope f thev I scribed including a chain section having comprising aloop carried-by one end portion, a U-shaped guide-formed on said loop and extending at substantially right angles thereto, said guide beingbent arcuatelyai .normallyin'conta'ct with the inner side of jacent its outer end,fa grippingimeansicar- .rie'd" by said'guide, theirelnaining end por tion passing-through. said: loop and' said;

overlappin'ge'nd portions,*'a lockingmemberi guide and being engaged by said ripping means, as and for the purposes set orth.

2. In a tire chain of the character described, including a chain section having overlapping end portions, a locking member comprising a loop carried by one end portion, a U-shaped guide formed on said loop and extending at substantially right angles thereto, said guide being bent arcuately ad- D jacent its outer end, a spring fixed uponsaid guide and having an arm projecting therefrom and extending transversely across said guide, the remainlng end portion passing through said loop and said guide and being engaged by said arm, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FREDERICH ROMAIN. 

